Oxford’s Word of the Year Is…ToxicThe Oxford Dictionaries' Word of the Year is...toxic.The British publisher defines the adjective toxic as "poisonous." The word first appeared in English in the 1650s. It came from the Latin word toxicus, meaning "poisoned."The Latin word itself actually came from the Greek term toxon, meaning "bow." In ancient Greece, fighters with bows would put poison on the points of their arrows.Why was toxic chosen?Oxford chooses a Word of the Year that best describes the mood of the past year. The word also should "have lasting potential" as a term of cultural importance.Oxford said its data showed a 45 percent rise in searches for the word toxic on its website in 2018.The searches began with the toxic chemical poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Britain. Then, in Syria, a toxic chemical weapon attack killed at least 40 people and led to a missile strike from the United States.The public also was concerned about toxic gas after a series of hurricanes and other storms. Others worried about the burning of toxic waste in India and toxic air pollution around the world. In the American state of Florida, huge numbers of dead fish washed up on the beaches because of toxic algae.But the increasingly common phrase "toxic environment" has nothing to do with pollution. Oxford says people searched for this phrase in connection to unpleasant workplace environments, including the worldwide walkout of Google employees. They were protesting sexual wrongdoing, unequal pay and discrimination.Others wanted to know about toxic relationships, especially connected to the #MeToo movement against sex abuse and the confirmation hearing of Brett Kavanaugh as a U.S. Supreme Court Justice.And the runners-up are...The word gaslighting was another top word of 2018, Oxford says. It defines the word as "the action of manipulating someone by psychological means into accepting a false depiction of reality or doubting their own sanity."It says the word has been used to describe claims by the administration of President Donald Trump that "the media are spreading ‘fake news.'" Gaslighting is also used to describe the British government position on Brexit – Britain's withdrawal from the European Union.I'm Bryan Lynn.

重点解析

1.ancient Greece 古希腊

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They believed ancient Greece and Rome were vital sources of learning.他们认为古代希腊罗马是知识的重要发源地+Fdo)+.1c-3Q5]c。

2.fake news 假新闻

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The site teases the fake news that it will shut down at midnight.该网站发布了一条假消息，宣布将在凌晨关闭网站OOEYt[bxLh.,NN。

3.connected to 与...有关

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The dispute is not directly connected to the negotiations.这一争端与谈判没有直接联系(|TYI])r^.3uvGe;。

4.searches for 搜寻

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He often searches for information through Google, Yahoo or Baidu.他经常通过谷歌、雅虎或百度搜索信息cZ~2%;^-0**!kwOd)DU。

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5.In the American state of Florida, huge numbers of dead fish washed up on the beaches because of toxic algae.

huge numbers of 大量的

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Huge numbers of these children are leaving school.这些孩子中的极大多数正在退学N],,;mNAhgg9)hB#Da。Even in China's richest city, huge numbers of people eke out a very modest existence.在这个中国最富裕的城市，还是有很多人勉强维生=Cg2du(D@RdHT8;sK7_n。

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6.The public also was concerned about toxic gas after a series of hurricanes and other storms.

a series of 一系列的

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The students have put forward a series of questions.学生们提出了一系列问题[3-g3CBP1~QMx。A series of technical foul-ups delayed the launch of the new product.一系列技术问题延误了新产品的上市,1X;up^vJSE=。